People in South Africa are under heavy stress because of the cost of living. Everything has gone up. People are struggling with low salaries. If you look at or read my blog post yesterday, you will see that the banks have increased their minimum salaries to R21,000 a month—but those jobs are prized jobs. There are millions of people struggling on mediocre wages where there’s nothing, no minimum like that.
So what do they do?
This economy is showing the signs of real weakness. Office occupancy levels are low throughout the country. The petrol and diesel price keep climbing. There are markets—like I heard just yesterday, the art market here in Cape Town—where people are struggling to sell paintings, even the so-called big names.
What can people do about this? How can they earn extra income?
The internet is full of articles and videos on money-making opportunities, “side hustles,” and “gigs.” (Gigs are for musicians, not for this.) But this post is not about chasing every new idea. It’s about understanding the real choice an ordinary person is faced with.
And that choice boils down to two things:
Either you create your own product or service. Or you sell someone else’s.
1. Create Your Own Product or Service
This is the most direct route. You rely on yourself—your time, your skills, your reliability.
In the Western Cape, a simple example is house-sitting. Many people are quietly earning decent extra income just by being trustworthy and available. Others are offering services like gardening, painting, cleaning, or even helping elderly people with day-to-day tasks.
This route starts with something very practical:
Do a skills inventory.
Ask yourself:
• What am I actually good at?
• What do I enjoy enough to do after hours?
• Who do I already know that might need this?
What comes through strongly—both from research and from what we see around us—is that people often overlook what is right in front of them. The opportunity is usually not something exotic—it’s something practical, local, and needed.
The advantage here is simple: you own the income stream.
The downside: you carry all the responsibility.
2. Sell Someone Else’s Product or Service
The second path is just as valid—and often faster to start.
Years ago, this meant selling Avroy Shlain cosmetics door-to-door. Today, the model is still alive and well. I’m on a WhatsApp group where a woman in Randburg is still selling Tupperware and doing extremely well—running regular sales, pushing to meet monthly targets, and clearly making it work.
Nothing has really changed here. The structure is the same:
• You use an existing product
• You tap into your network
• You earn through effort and consistency
Modern versions include:
• Affiliate sales
• Reselling local products
• Acting as a connector between a service provider and a client
The key is choosing something that people actually need right now—not something trendy, but something practical in a strained economy.
Finding the Opportunity: Start With Yourself
Before doing anything, you need to take stock.
Not in a vague way—but properly:
• Your skills
• Your interests
• Your contacts
• Your environment
This is where most people rush. They jump straight into “ideas” instead of first understanding their own position.
And that’s where many fail.
The Marketing Reality Most People Ignore
There is also a hard truth that needs to be said.
You cannot rely on social media.
These are not free platforms. They are businesses. The only people who seem to benefit consistently are musicians—especially here in Cape Town—constantly promoting themselves on Instagram and Facebook.
For everyone else, the reach is limited unless you pay.
So what works?
• Face-to-face interaction
• Building a real network
• Being present in physical spaces
Morning markets, exhibitions, local events—this is where real connections are made. This is where trust is built. And in this type of economy, trust is what leads to income.
There is simply too much reliance on other people’s platforms.
The Choice to Make
After reading this, you might feel the urge to do something. That’s good—but don’t rush it.
Give it a few days. Let your ideas percolate. Let them develop properly.
Talk it through with a partner or someone you trust. But be careful—people don’t always see what you see. Sometimes it’s lack of interest, sometimes it’s something else. Not every reaction needs to shape your decision.
Then do your homework. Because whatever route you choose—creating something of your own or selling for someone else—it takes work. More than people think. There’s no shortcut here.
But if you’ve got the motivation, a bit of persistence, and a willingness to keep at it when it’s quiet or slow… then it can be done.
